Origins - By Gavin Maja

Written By: Gavin Maja

Category: Poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Gavin Maja, known by his writing name "Moodswing Poet," presents "Origins," a poignant collection of poetry, in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. This compilation offers readers a glimpse into a tapestry of emotions and experiences, blending personal reflections with imaginative storytelling. Each poem, crafted with meticulous care, invites readers to explore the depths of human emotion and the nuances of life's journey.

About the Work

"Origins" by Gavin Maja is a rich tapestry of poetic expression, exploring themes of identity, resilience, and introspection. Through vivid imagery and profound reflections, Maja delves into the complexities of human experience. The collection is marked by a reflective tone, as it navigates topics such as loss, societal observations, and personal growth. Maja's adept use of metaphor and symbolism invites readers to ponder the intricacies of existence.

Origins

Original Submission by Gavin Maja

Origins

Gavin Maja(Moodswing Poet)

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Copyright © 2026 Gavin Maja

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews, criticism, or educational purposes permitted by copyright law.

Origins is a collection of original poetry written by Gavin Maja(Moodswing Poet).

The poems in this collection are works of original creative expression. While some draw inspiration from personal experiences, observations, and emotions, others are fictional or imaginative in nature.

First Edition, 2026

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The Worth Of Being Played.

I am carried in the softness of their arms

They marked me with unfamiliar designs

I was placed on grass trimmed to perfection

And I was struck again and again without mercy

They try to trap me in a net, thrown by a man in heavy gloves

Should I split open, I am nothing, and they curse what remains

They return me to the field, to be used again and again

A quiet observer learning how to stay in a world that once taught him to withdraw.

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Wounds They Call Discipline.

You have held your torn soul together,

with thread and needle.

You have refused bandages from passing hands.

Your first heartbreak came from a place,

you call home.

Nobody celebrated you with words

that could make you whole.

Doubt and insults became the celebration,

while you quietly broke yourself.

You asked for comfort,

but they handed you wounds

and called it discipline.

Silence stitched you back together.

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Existence is Pain.

Sometimes when we're hurting,

we start living almost entirely inside our minds.

We become writers, philosophers, observers.

We watch life instead of participating in it.

A person can spend years,

digging a hole with nothing but their mouth.

And sometimes the saddest thing,

is that they don't even realize they're digging.

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We Buried Them With Your Hatred.

They speak of unity in words of gold,

yet unite only to pull their brothers and sisters down.

They speak of humanity, but inhumanity is their love language.

They speak of fixing a nation, yet their hearts delight in destroying souls.

Give nothing to hypocrisy, but consequences it has earned.

Rest in peace to those who died,

from xenophobic hatred.

May their memory outlive the hatred that stole them from this world.

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We Carved Ourselves Into History.

Put us in their history books.

Let the children read and be inspired.

Let the unheard finally be heard.

Let nations know there is talent

in a continent they misunderstand.

Hunters. Huts. Dry land. No water.

That is what they think of us.

So we hunt for their history books,

build our huts in their pages,

turn their silence green with talent,

fill their records with wisdom

born from deep wounds.

My pen is my sword.

My words bleed Ink.

My pen fights battles I cannot speak aloud.

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The Day She Became Silence.

Everyone arrived clothed in black.

Silence sat on their faces like scars that never healed.

The mourners came quietly

not loud, just present enough to witness the silence.

The casket remained inside the house,

surrounded by murmured conversations and quiet crying.

Covered in blankets,

as if the dead were still conscious of the cold.

The religious leader delivers the eulogy.

The praises feel larger than the life I remember but he says them anyway,

faithful to the ceremony and the mourners nod in silence.

The person is not truly gone

until the coffin is lowered six feet beneath the earth,

and loved ones release trembling soil from their hands.

Then the truth arrives:

she is gone.

The ground remains covered in flowers waiting quietly to rot beside her memory.

Worms will inherit what remains of the corpse.

Spiders will weave their homes around forgotten bones.

Dust returns to dust,

as it always intended to.

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Hypervigilance.

I move through life like a camera with feet-observing, recording, silent.

Even when my eyes aren’t fixed, I still see them all.

Nothing they say escapes me, I hear it all.

Nothing in their movement escapes my sight.

I can predict their next move, like I’ve studied it before, like survival taught me the pattern of people.

I'm tired in a way I can't switch off. Even when I want to stop, I don't. I keep searching for danger that isn't there.

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I Knew Their Movements.

I walked the streets, but I was never inside them.

And the streets were not where I was known, never as someone important.

I was invisible there, but I memorised the life of every passing person.

Everything felt predictable, as if time had forgotten how to move forward.

Children played into dawn, mud on their skin, and I knew their movements like a memory I didn’t choose.

Even the vendors had a routine, and I knew it better than they knew me.

Even in silence, I see it all, the tavern’s noise, careless tongues, intoxicated truths that don’t belong to me.

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Shaped By Fire.

I carry the peace of the capybara, calm in a restless world.

I do not flail in storms; I wait, like a mantis counting breath before the strike.

Like the owl, I am resilient, raised in wisdom's silence, eyes open when the world is blind.

I move with peace like a dove painted in purity.

I am a phoenix, not untouched by fire, but shaped by it.

From silence and ash I learn to rise again.

What burns me does not end me, it becomes language in my bones.

I do not fear falling, for I have met the ground and turned it into meaning.

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Weather Notification

Rain drops on the already-wet ground,

melodies playing somewhere in the background.

Hymns drift through moments of isolation

soft sounds filling the silence I sit inside.

Phone in my hand,

the only company that stays close.

A notification lights up

for a second I think it’s someone checking on me.

But it’s just the weather again.

Another forecast, another reminder.

Argh… another weather motif.

I thought it was a message.

I thought it was someone.

Yeah…

that’s the price of isolating yourself

no one checks in anymore.

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About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar celebrates the art of poetry and storytelling, providing a platform for writers worldwide to share their unique voices. This esteemed event encourages creativity and expression, fostering a global community of literary artists. Participants are invited to explore various themes, offering their narratives and insights to a diverse audience.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Gavin Maja for sharing "Origins" as part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. His evocative poetry offers a profound exploration of human emotion and resilience. We are honored to feature his work and look forward to witnessing the continued impact of his literary contributions.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.